Here are some questions that we receive on a regular basis from potential and existing customers regarding our UPG online card processing service. If you don't see your question answered here then please don't hesitate to contact us!
What is the difference between bank account and merchant account?
Why do we need to pay you and the bank?
Do I need to have a merchant account with the same bank as my main business account?
Which merchant account acquiring banks does SecureHosting UPG work with?
What does UPG stand for?
Can we go live while we are on free trial?
How can I upgrade from Basic to the other packages – will it be a long process?
How are transaction credits charged with pre-auth?
How are credits charged with 3D Secure?
Will we be charged for failed transactions?
Will you charge any more for Amex?
Can we still use our terminal machine if we set up an internet merchant no?
Are CV2 and AVS checks included?
Can I process card payments taken over the phone?
Can I process manual payments through my website even if 3D Secure is enabled?
How long before I receive funds to my bank account?
Does SecureHosting handle the actual money from my payments?
Can I have email notifications to more than one email address?
Do you offer multi-currency processing?
If I set up a Euro merchant account will I receive the money in Euros?
Do I have access to details of any failed transactions?
Can I see how the secure pages would look?
How long has SecureHosting been trading?
How many customers does SecureHosting have?
Can I arrange a meeting with someone from SecureHosting?
What is the difference between bank account and merchant account?
A business bank account is a standard account which you can pay money into and withdraw money from. A merchant account however is a facility that the bank provides you with so that you can take credit and debit card payments from your customers, and this is usually subject to some extra checks on your business before it is issued. Once in place, your bank will provide you with a merchant number, and this is what we need to put you live on our systems.
Why do we need to pay you and the bank?
In order to take payments over the internet you must have two things.1) A merchant account
This is a financial contract that you will need with a merchant acquiring bank and which provides you with the facility to accept credit and debit card payments. Your bank will charge you directly for this service, in the form of a setup fee, and a merchant service charge representing a % of your credit card transactions.
2) A payment gateway (or payment service provider)
This is what we provide you with. A payment gateway connects your main web site to your merchant acquiring bank over the Internet. We provide an area on a secure server to host your payment forms (or an XML API for direct integration) and will forward the transaction payment data in real-time to your merchant acquiring bank for authorisation. If your bank authorises the transaction the payment gateway will return a confirmation page back to your customer and send you notification of the successful order.
You need a payment gateway in addition to your merchant account, as the merchant account itself is useless without one, being in itself only a financial contract. Some banks confuse the issue by offering their own payment gateways as an optional extra with their merchant accounts - beware however as the banks will charge you a hefty premium for this, typically an extra 2% on each card transaction. You are under no obligation to use the bank's payment gateway, and you will save a great deal of money by using an independent one such as our UPG payment gateway service.
You will find our charges comparable against any other payment processing system available in the UK, in most cases we are one of the cheapest as we charge a fixed rate per transaction rather than a monthly management fee for a set number of transactions or an additional percentage to the one you already pay directly to your bank.
Do I need to have a merchant account with the same bank as my main business account?
No! You can obtain a merchant account with a different bank from the one that holds your main bank accounts. This allows you to shop around for the best deal on a merchant account. If you don’t currently have a merchant account, we will contact a suitable selection of banks to obtain quotes for you. All you need to do is complete our UPG online card processing application form and we will do the rest!Which merchant account acquiring banks does SecureHosting UPG work with?
We currently work with :-
Barclaycard Merchant Services
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Natwest Streamline
Ulster Bank
HSBC
Lloyds TSB Cardnet
Alliance & Leicester (Elavon)
What does UPG stand for?
UPG stands for Universal Payment Gateway. This is the name of our payment gateway and is the name the banks use to refer to our online payment service.Can we go live while we are on free trial?
You can only switch your eCOM account to live card processing once it has been paid for. However, you have a free trial period in order to perform all your integration and testing. If you require more than the default 2 week trial period then we can extend this for you.How can I upgrade from Basic to the other packages – will it be a long process?
It is very simple and the cost to upgrade would be the pro rata price difference for the amount of unused months on your current annual contract, plus a one-off upgrade fee of £25 + VAT. You keep the same account and all your existing settings will be unchanged. The upgrade can be done very quickly. Please contact sales or accounts to arrange an upgrade (0845 474 9035 options 1 or 3).How are transaction credits charged with pre-auth?
The initial pre-auth transaction uses a credit, but the first subsequent transaction settlement is free provided it is settled within 3 banking days, and provided the transaction amount is unchanged. Any additional settlements will use a credit.How are credits charged with 3D Secure?
Standard 3D Secure checks will not incur extra credits. The exception to this is outlined below.Will we be charged for failed transactions?
No, if the transaction fails when presented for standard authorisation then you will not be charged a credit. The only exception to this is where a cardholder successfully enrols/authenticates for 3D Secure but subsequent payment authorisation fails. This should, however, be a fairly rare occurrence.Will you charge any more for Amex?
No, there are no extra charges from us for this. You will however need to contact Amex to obtain an Internet merchant number for Amex, and then inform us of this number before we can put it live for your SecureHosting account.Can we still use our terminal machine if we set up an internet merchant no?
Yes you can, as your Internet payments are processed via a different merchant number from the ones processed via your manual terminal. However, you may not need your terminal as our UPG online card processing service provides you with a “Virtual Terminal” for placing manual transactions.Are CV2 and AVS checks included?
Yes, these are included for no extra charge. CV2 is the card security code on the reverse of the card and AVS is a cardholder address verification. The actual checks are performed by your merchant acquiring bank, not by us, so we are not responsible for the validity of the information. There are situations where CV2 and AVS checks cannot be performed by your bank. The results are presented to you on an “information only” basis, however we can set your account to reject transactions based on a combination of outcomes of these checks.Can I process card payments taken over the phone?
Yes, telephone payments can be entered into the "Virtual Terminal" included free of charge with all SecureHosting eCOM accounts.Can I process manual payments through my website even if 3D Secure is enabled?
Yes, we have a unique feature that allows you to enter a telephone card payment manually through your own website and bypass the 3D Secure checks.How long before I receive funds to my bank account?
The actual amount of time it takes for the monies to hit your bank account are purely down to the agreement you have in place with your merchant acquiring bank. Our UPG service sends your transactions to your bank for authorisation in real-time and submits settlement files as per the bank’s requirements. The bank determines how much time you must wait to receive the funds, and this should be clearly stated within your merchant account agreement supplied by your bank.Does SecureHosting handle the actual money from my payments?
No! It is important for us to make the distinction between your merchant acquiring bank and us. We act as a payment gateway, transmitting data securely between your web site and your acquiring bank. We never have access to the actual funds from your transactions, only your merchant acquiring bank has this. Merchants often get confused on this issue, as they think of us as being like PayPal or WorldPay. We are quite different from PayPal and WorldPay as, unlike them, we never touch your actual funds.Can I have email notifications to more than one email address?
Yes you can – to do this log in to your SecureHosting account and choose the option ‘company details’ in your account settings, then just enter the email addresses separated by a comma but no spaces. There is no limit to how many addresses you can add.Do you offer multi-currency processing?
Yes, our UPG online card processing service offers processing in all major currencies, however please check with sales for details as some banks won’t support this and there may be certain minimum trading limits imposed by some banks.If I set up a Euro merchant account will I receive the money in Euros?
No – the funds will be settled to your bank account in Sterling.Do I have access to details of any failed transactions?
Yes, we provide reporting on transactions that fail any validation or bank authorisation, enabling you to review them and contact the customer where appropriate.Can I see how the secure pages would look
We allow you total design flexibility over your pages, therefore there is no "standard look" to show you! Your secure checkout pages can be tailored to match the design of your main web site.How long has SecureHosting been trading?
The company has been trading since 1998, which is a long time in the Internet industry!How many customers does SecureHosting have?
We currently have in the region of 2500 customers.Can I arrange a meeting with someone from SecureHosting?
Yes, we would be delighted to discuss any queries you may have. We can either come out to visit you, or you are welcome to visit us at either of our locations in Bedfordshire or Pinner, NW London.
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